Please Don't
by Disney's Darling
Summary: Brady still has nightmares about the torture disguised as school. Brakayla if you squint. Rated for angst and themes.


Please Don't

A/N: Hi guys! I absolutely LOVE Pair of Kings, Mitchel Musso, and Mitchel Musso's performance in it. I love how Brady is kind of shy, a total wuss, and yet he can be really brave (see Big Kings On Campus) and _REALLY _ sweet. After watching the pilot episode a couple of times, I thought that if Brady and Boomer were bullied as badly and for as long as the show suggested, that must have an effect on the twins, but Brady especially, since he's the sensitive one of the two. And this fic was born! I think it's my best yet, my longest oneshot yet, and a labour of love, so enjoy!

The air was rent with a piercing scream that curdled Mason's blood. Grabbing his ever-trusty machete, he rushed up to the room where his kings resided, following the scream.

While Boomer was sound asleep, Brady was thrashing around, before curling up into a ball and muttering "Please… don't…", tears falling from his eyes. Mason sat down next to Brady, gently trying to shake him awake.

After one more scream, Brady woke up, breathing hard and slowly calming down. "Brady… what happened?" Mason asked.

"I'm safe, right? Is Boomer okay? Oh man… we're safe, right?"

"Boomer is just fine. He's still sleeping. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…' Brady shuddered. 'Bad dream…"

"Well, I always find that whenever Mikayla has a bad dream, talking about it helps. Would that help you?"

"I don't think so… not now. But could you bring Mikayla up here?"

"Of course, King Brady," said Mason, somehow knowing that it might calm Brady down to be addressed as King, reassuring him of his status in life.

…

While Mason went to find Mikayla, Brady shook Boomer awake. It took several shakes and a slap to wake Boomer, but once awake, Boomer understood.

"Oh, Brady, man, again? You know, you really should tell Mason."

"Tell Mason what? That we used to get beat up every day? Oh yeah, he'd totally understand. He'll either go to Chicago with that machete and hack everyone who hurt us into tiny little pieces and get convicted of murder, or he'll kick us out 'cause we're weak. Real smart, Boomer."

"Brady, he won't kick us out. We're the kings, remember? You can't kick out the kings!"

"Didn't you pay any attention in history, Boomer? Kings got kicked out all the time. And we messed up heaps already. The mermaids, the sacred ruby, the mummy, our pet, that pirate, that three-eyed girl…"

"We fixed all that. Maybe you should tell Mikayla! She's our age, she'll get it."

"Oh yeah, and that would turn my one-in-a-million chance of getting off with her into a one-in-never-gonna-happen-cause-Brady-is-weak. And like she's been beat up with Mason for a dad."

"Okay, fine, don't tell anyone. But you really should, Brady. It'll eat you alive if you don't."

…

Mason came running back with Mikayla in tow, Mikayla immediately dropping to Brady's side.

"Brady, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine… show's over, nothing to see here."

Despite Brady's assurances, Mikayla couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right with Brady. But she also sensed that he would talk about it when he was ready to, not before.

"Well, if you're sure..."

…

_The Next Night_

Another night, another scream. Another nightmare.

Brady and Boomer were in the school hall on their way to class, when the biggest and meanest of all the bullies spotted them. Both twins shrank back, but that didn't stop the bully from checking for teachers, before dragging them into an empty classroom to give them their worst pounding yet; one of many, when he realised how weak they were.

Although he was asleep, Brady felt every punch, every kick, every slap. He begged the bully to leave off, but he persisted in beating them till they were on the verge of unconsciousness, before the bell rang, leaving Brady and Boomer to drag their bruised and bleeding asses off to class.

"Please… don't…"

"…Brady? BRADY!"

Brady woke with a shudder, unravelling from the tight ball he had curled himself into. About five seconds after realising he was safe in the castle, another wave of worry flooded Brady; he and Boomer weren't cut out to be kings. They had lived in a tiny apartment their whole lives, spending their days studying and being bully bait. How were they supposed to handle being kings of an entire island?

"I can't do this," Brady said under his breath.

"Can't do what?" asked Mason, Mikayla at his side. Brady started, only just realising they were there.

"Be a good king," Brady whispered.

"Sure you can. You just need some time to get used to it, and some good advisers like Dad and me," encouraged Mikayla.

"How do you know that? You don't know us at all," Brady spat.

"Well then, why don't you help us and tell us why you don't think you can be king?" asked Mikayla, seeing that Brady was upset and vulnerable.

Brady took a deep breath. Boomer was right; it was going to eat him alive if he didn't spill, and Mikayla might as well know.

"We won't be good kings 'cause we're weak. The day your dad found us to take us here, we were hanging from our gym lockers with our pants down. And that wasn't even the worst part; that was the bully going easy on us. One time, he beat us up till we nearly passed out. And nobody liked us. Nobody ever picked us for sport, or sat with us. We used to get beat up every day, 'cause we were easy targets. Every single day. So pardon me if I'm not used to being safe just yet!" Brady yelled, not wanting Mikayla to think any worse of him than she no doubt already did; every single time she had criticised Brady, or blew up at him for making a mistake or screwing something up… it was all coming back to him, adding to his misery.

Mikayla felt awful; all those times she had criticised Brady, made fun of him, given him a verbal lashing every time he and Boomer messed up, or dismissed him as stupid… she felt terrible for hurting his feelings like that. It was true; Brady and Boomer were just doing their best to adjust to moving from a big city to a tropical island, from being fresh bully meat to being kings. She resolved then and there to cut them a little slack; they were just managing their kingdom the best way they knew how.

"Oh, Brady… I totally understand…" Mikayla paused. "You think you'll be okay now?"

"Give me a while… I will be after a few weeks… months… however long it takes. You were right, Mason." Brady smiled. "Talking helps."

"I'm here, whenever you need me." Mason replied.

"Me too. Just let either of us know," Mikayla smiled.

…

Brady was right; his nightmares didn't magically disappear after that night. But whenever he woke up screaming and afraid, Mason or Mikayla would be at his side, there to comfort him and reassure him of his true worth. And Mason was right in that talking certainly helped; even the next night, Brady wasn't afraid to go to sleep, and he knew that when he woke up, someone would be there to comfort him. Because he wasn't bully bait any more.

He was _King_ Brady.


End file.
